An abandoned grill has become symbol of Chiefs playoff failure

A year ago, the Chiefs held Pittsburgh without a touchdown in an AFC Divisional Playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium ... and lost.

Long after the game had ended and the Truman Sports Complex had emptied, The Star’s David Eulitt took a sad photo of a grill that had been left behind.

Eulitt, who is an Emmy winner in case you didn’t know, tweeted that photo and it went viral with Weber grills making mention of it.

On Saturday night, after the Chiefs had blown an 18-point lead and lost 22-21 to the Tennessee Titans, guess what Eulitt stumbled upon?

Yep, another abandoned grill. In nearly an identical spot in Lot D.

“It was several rows behind my car but I went earlier this year so I parked closer than last year,” Eulitt said.

Eulitt tweeted that photo and it was widely shared.

I think the reason these photos resonate with Chiefs fans is because of Kansas City’s reputation for being the best place for tailgating. Leaving a grill behind after a loss reflects the sadness that fans feel.

Forget the Crying Jordan meme. An abandoned grill is now the symbol of the Chiefs playoff futility.

However, Twitter user Conrad McGorkin made a mashup of the Crying Jordan and the abandoned grill and it is perfect.

This story was originally published January 8, 2018 at 10:03 AM.